A War of Three Kings (Dying Lands #2)

43. Keira

Chapter 43

Keira

I shiver at being in the great hall of the palace once more, but this time I thankfully have no role in the royal ceremony. A light murmur ripples through the crowd. I sit at the front of the pews reserved for the nobility, my family on one side of me and Aldrin on the other.

A huge smile is spread across my father’s face, and his emerald eyes blaze with pride. He can hardly stay still, constantly glancing around at the seated nobility, the crowd of commoners standing behind, and the grand doors at the far end of the hall. My mother keeps placing a hand on his tapping leg and whispering words into his ear.

Nervousness rolls through me.

There are so many triggering memories in this place. Especially when I look at the dais with its thrones of intricately wrought gold and purple velvet. I was forced to sit there too many times. The stone altar before it is the very one at which Finan forced me to marry him.

Icy claws run down my spine and a shiver runs through me.

Aldrin squeezes my hand. I am here and he is not, his voice rumbles in my head.

A row of heralds blow a series of short notes on their trumpets, then the gold inlaid doors behind the dais slowly drag open. King Niall steps through the doorway and every person in the hall falls silent. The nobles in the pews stand with a rustle of skirts, silks and brocades.

It is at complete odds with the disrespect they showed to Finan.

Niall wears a floor-length robe embroidered with gold thread and a cape of white fur, collared in purple jewels. His bright blue gaze takes in the crowd. His usual gaunt features and stern expression have a softness to them now, as though the weight he has carried with him his entire life has been lifted.

His procession is a quick one. He walks with the queen mother at his side, her gloved hand tucked into his elbow. She is much diminished from grief for her oldest son, seeming to have aged decades since I last saw her.

Niall rests a gentle hand over his mother’s and leads her to a golden stool beside the thrones, easing her into it before taking his place beside the altar. For the hundredth time, the contrast between the brothers astounds me—the instinctual care Niall shows toward others that would never have occurred to Finan.

Morgana fusses in Caitlin’s arms beside me, making the soft mewing sounds of a newborn. Her little limbs are curled up against her middle and Caitlin discreetly arranges the folds of her specialized nursing gown to latch Morgana to the nipple.I thank the gods that her milk didn’t dry up completely when she joined the rescue mission for me.

My niece’s pale skin has a blue tinge. I struggle with jolts of panic each time I see her again, momentarily forgetting who her fae parent was and fearing she must have stopped breathing. There are hints of iridescent scales across her face where another may have freckles, and her small wisps of hair are white. Caitlin is adamant that her daughter will never have to hide who she is or feel a moment of shame over it.

I am glad that she banished Gwyneth from our lives. A child cannot love and accept who they are when a parent holds those same attributes against them.

An orchestra starts playing the song that frequents my nightmares. The one that is played at every wedding in Strathia. It turns my stomach and makes my skin prickle with dread. Aldrin’s body goes rigid beside me, and I release I am casting my emotions at him.

When we get married, we are not playing this damned song at the ceremony, he growls in my head.

I glance at him and raise an eyebrow. Do you have other thoughts for our wedding? I can’t help the smile that forms on my lips.

Many, he replies. Mostly about the end of the night when I get you to myself. He sends a series of erotic images flashing so fast through my mind that I suck in a sharp breath, and he chuckles darkly.

The grand doors far behind us glide open and the entire crowd turns as a collective. Brianna steps through the doorway, looking utterly regal.

The white skirts of her dress billow out around her, taking up the entire width of the aisle in a puff of silk decorated with gold embroidery and seed pearls. They part at the front to expose layers upon layers of sheer chiffon that glitter with tiny, colorful jewels sewn into them. The bodice of the gown has a distinctive V shape scattered with more precious stones, and her long white sleeves end in subtle frills.

Half of her long, blond hair is pulled into a soft updo, and the rest falls down her shoulders to her waist in ringlets. Brianna’s blue eyes sparkle and her lips keep curling into a smile that she tries to hide. My heart swells at the sight of her devastating beauty, even as it breaks at the fact that she is here at such a young age.

My father wipes tears from his eyes. “She’s only just turned eighteen,” he mutters repeatedly, while my mother pats his shoulder. His emotional display of tenderness is at such odds with the man who hunted down Lord Desmond after the riot that won us the city and put his head on a spike on the palace wall.

I glance at King Niall. He stares at Brianna with wide eyes glazed with awe. His lips part, as though his breath has been stolen away. He doesn’t move a single part of his body, like he is afraid of waking from a dream.

I wonder if he was harboring a secret love for Brianna. I can see how a man who was in his precarious position when Finan was alive might have been too afraid to take a wife and start a family.

Brianna moves steadily down the aisle, gliding in that weighty dress, not noticing the crowd gawking on either side of her. My sister’s eyes are trained on Niall. As she approaches him at the altar, he rushes forward with an outstretched hand. She takes it, allowing him to lead her those last few steps. They continue to hold hands as they stare at each other before the altar with such vulnerability in their eyes.

The moment is so intimate I feel like I am intruding.

The druid Murdoc begins the formalities of the ceremony and we nobility take our seats on the pews once more. I struggle to follow his words with so many emotions roaring within me. Aldrin’s thigh pressed beside mine is reassuring, and he takes my hand again, squeezing and placing it on our legs.

When we get married, I am not wearing white. I never want to wear white again. I send the thought to him and feel the vibration of his chest as a suppressed huff of laughter leaves him. Then he shoots me a deadly serious look.

I want to marry in the spring, he says. This coming spring. When the trees are full of apple blossoms and the air smells of pollen. When the weather is crisp in the morning and just the right side of warm in the evening. I want the air filled with butterflies and the songs of birds, and the whole world to be erupting with life and love on the day we marry.

Pure happiness radiates through me. It is like I have been lost in a snowstorm for months and the sun has just made an appearance, kissing my skin with its warmth.

That is very poetic, Aldrin . We should marry in the wild orchard groves just outside the castle grounds. They are overtaken by wildflowers in spring. There is a shallow stream that gurgles over smooth rocks and an old temple that can be restored. I don’t want hundreds of people I hardly know there, just the essentials.

Aldrin presses the side of his head to mine for a few moments. It sounds perfect.

We are drawn back to the ceremony as Brianna and Niall are about to exchange their vows, clasping hands and gazing into each other’s eyes. Murdoc takes a long ribbon and binds their hands together, looping the silk around and around in a handfasting ritual.

King Niall’s voice is just loud enough for those of us in the front row to hear. “I promise to protect you from harm and safeguard you from evil. That each day I will feel honored to be your husband. I vow to pursue happiness and harmony with you, and pledge to treat you with respect that will never waver. I will stand at your side through whatever may come.” There is so much emotion in those words that he clearly wrote himself.

My sister’s lips tremble as he speaks, but she doesn’t pull her gaze away from his once. When she says her vows, it is with a voice so quiet I do not catch them. Tears roll down my father’s face and he doesn’t bother to wipe them away. My grandmother whispers in his ear, but I think he ignores her completely.

Murdoc stands behind the pair and raises his hands in the air. “I pronounce you husband and wife!”

Cheers ring out from the amassed people and both Niall and Brianna turn slowly to their audience, wearing matching expressions of surprise, as though they both just remembered we are here with them.

Niall’s lips kick up in the corners as he turns back to Brianna, places his hands on either side of her face and kisses her gently. Her eyebrows shoot up, but she relaxes into him, her hands traveling up his arms and around his neck.

The kiss lasts for longer than what is proper, but all I can do is laugh.

“Well, no one wants to see that from their little sister,” Caitlin grumbles beside me, shooting Aldrin and me a dark look. I should be embarrassed about the spectacle she had to witness when our mating bond snapped into place. I smile instead.

Diarmuid leans toward her. “Well, maybe you should stop looking.”

Caitlin elbows him in the ribs.

The ceremony stretches out for another ten minutes, then morphs into something else entirely. Niall and Brianna kneel facing the crowd, with the altar at their backs. Diarmuid rises from the pews and joins Murdoc on the dais as the queen’s druid adviser.

Murdoc takes a heavy crown from the altar and both druids chant a low incantation as it is placed on Niall’s head and a golden scepter in his hand. Diarmuid takes a matching crown that is slightly smaller and places it on Brianna’s head.

Their chanting increases in volume, reaching a fever pitch, then abruptly cutting off as both druids step to the side. King Niall and Queen Brianna rise to their feet as the heralds play a series of long notes on their trumpets.

“I declare the new King and Queen of Strathia!” Murdoc bellows. In the distance, a bell tolls, instantly followed by hundreds more, announcing the coronation to the city. Before long, bells will ring across the entire kingdom.

King Niall holds the scepter high. “I pledge to be a king who is honest and just. Who values the life and wellbeing of every single one of my subjects, no matter how high- or lowborn they are. Who looks to the future and safeguards all my people from war or famine, as much as it is in my power to do so. I promise to do better than the kings who came before me and put aside old prejudices that were built on a foundation of lies. To bring in new wealth with trade from the fae lands and improve the lives of all citizens of Strathia with the magic that will become available to us. I vow this as your king.”

Everyone cheers. The nobles rise to their feet again, clapping. Aldrin wraps an arm around me and pulls me to his side, giving me a huge grin that lights up his eyes.

We actually did it, his voice rumbles in my head.

But can you hold up your end of it? I ask. Can you keep it hidden from Titiana?

He just shrugs. She may hate humans, but she is a businesswoman first and foremost. If she catches wind of this, she will want to take the trade for herself. If Lord Cedar can send us an army regiment under her nose, then we can rustle up some spices and seeds. The trade agreement is just a prelude to open migration between realms, and I intend to take full credit for both.

The orchestra plays again, and King Niall and Queen Brianna walk from the dais and through the gilded double doors into the palace. The great hall erupts with excited voices, but I can’t help staring after them.

“It is strange to think of her as anything other than our baby sister,” Caitlin murmurs beside me, rocking her content babe.

“That’s exactly what I was thinking,” I reply as the lords, ladies, counts and countesses move and mingle around us.“Can I…”

I hesitate, and Caitlin raises an eyebrow at me.

“Can I hold Morgana for a while?” I always feel guilty asking, because if I had a baby this perfect and sweet, I would never want to give her up to another person, not even for a heartbeat.

Caitlin delicately places Morgana in my arms and readjusting my awkward hold on her. She is so tiny, I have no idea how to cradle her properly. My niece yawns widely, then lets out a little sigh, and my heart melts.

Caitlin smiles with pride at the two of us, and when I glance back at Aldrin, his expression matches hers. Waves of awe and longing roll off him at the sight of a baby in my arms. It is something he has desperately wanted for a long time, and I am just discovering how badly I want a bundle of joy myself—but we have too many battles ahead of us to start a family now.

“What is it like?” My gaze flicks to Caitlin. “Becoming a mother?”

A deep frown pinches her brow as she thinks. “It is the most profound experience of my life. One that nothing could have prepared me for. It is like someone has taken a hammer to who I am and shattered me into hundreds of pieces, then haphazardly shoved them back together. But some of the vital pieces of me are missing, and there are new ones that are pivotal, but they don’t quite fit, so everything else has to change and grow around them. Becoming a mother was a rebirth of myself, one that I would never go back on, but the old Caitlin is lost forever.” She lets out a long huff of breath. “ And , I now know why our father was so insane during the war.”

Tears spring to my eyes and I hold Morgana closer to my chest. I don’t want to give her back. As scary as it sounds, I want to become a mother, too.

My heart squeezes as Aldrin presses in behind me, snaking an arm around my waist and cooing at Morgana over my shoulder. I laugh when she wraps her tiny hand around his finger.

“She is just so perfect,” I choke out. “I want to protect her from everything.”

I glance up at Caitlin, and there is a deep frown on her features, but it’s not directed at me. “I thought I was angry with Gwyneth before Morgana was born, but now I absolutely loathe her. How could she walk away from this? How could she be so blinded by her prejudice that she couldn’t see past it to the beautiful child and family we wanted for so many years? Somehow, I don’t even miss her. We grew so far apart during the war.”

A tear drops onto Caitlin’s cheek. The heartbreak and betrayal are still so fresh for her.

“You made the right choice,” I say. “It is better with her out of our lives. Gwyneth would have been a terrible parent for Morgana. Children deserve to be raised with nothing but love around them. To always be valued and never depreciated, especially for things they cannot help like the color of their skin or the shape of their ears.”

Caitlin scrubs away her tears. “Aldrin, you’d better succeed at achieving free travel across the realms. I want Odiane to meet her child…and I already want another one.” She laughs, and I make a choked sound.

“I’m sure we will get you back into the Spring Court to visit Odiane either way.” Aldrin puts a hand on her shoulder. “Somehow, I don’t think you’ll need to make another bargain to get a second seed-stone from her.”

“Keira. Aldrin.” My father waves an enthusiastic arm at us. “Come here. I would like to formally introduce you both to Lord and Lady Dover.” He turns back to the couple. “My second daughter is also engaged to be married. Aldrin is the rightful king of the fae Spring Court. Of course, we will support him when he reclaims his throne.”

I hesitate, unable to let Morgana go yet.

My grandmother materializes out of the crowd, and I feel Aldrin tense ever so slightly around me. She scoops the precious bundle out of my arms and gives me a stern look. “Off with you, girl. The two of you still have a lot of work to do to solidify Aldrin’s position here.”

As I tug Aldrin by the arm toward the waiting Dovers, I glance back over my shoulder to see my grandmother rocking Morgana and talking to Caitlin in a soft voice.

Aldrin is shown off to many of the powerful nobility while the masses wait to be let into the ballroom, and then well into the feast and festivities.

He looks regal in his deep navy jacket with leaves embroidered in gold thread across the lapels, plus a gold-trimmed navy vest to match and a white shirt beneath with slight ruffles at the neck and wrists.

I play with my pale blue silk gloves and brush my hands over the wide, ruffled skirts of my matching gown while we endure the awkwardness of being passed from one set of nobles to another, forced to make the same small talk again and again. Aldrin keeps an arm wrapped around my waist, his fingers trailing across the gold beads stitched in swirls across the bodice of my dress, practically announcing his ownership of me.

I can’t stop smiling at him, even when I should be following the threads of conversation.

“I want to be one of the first diplomats to venture into your realm, Aldrin.” Countess Lynna runs her hand along his arm to grab his attention as she passes us in the ballroom. “There is someone I would like to find.”

“And I want to be the first to discuss trade agreements with you,” Lord Bradford adds, sending us a charming smile before dragging Lynna to the dance floor. Lord Adalwolf has already made the same demands.

I am still staring after them when Lord Tomas’ stocky form stops short before us. He shuffles awkwardly on the spot, his eyes darting between us as a red flush creeps over his face.

“I was wrong about you, Aldrin, and your fae. For that, and my harsh words, I am sorry. I was as afraid and insecure as the rest of the people of this realm, and you proved me wrong.”

Aldrin’s eyebrows shoot up, and there is that gleam in his eyes that tells me he wants to push the man. “I am glad to hear it, Lord Tomas. Perhaps you’d like to be part of the first diplomatic party to visit my court?”

Tomas’ skin turns a mottled purple and his mouth works, no sound coming out. “You have my apology, and you won’t get anything else out of me.” He throws up his arms and rushes off into the crowd.

I turn to Aldrin, ready to scold him, but his lips are pressed together as he holds in his mirth. His amber eyes are breathtaking as they dance with amusement. We both burst out into laughter.

I drag Aldrin to the dance floor. We move as one under chandeliers with rows of crystal illuminated by tiny fire orbs, making the entire dance floor sparkle with light. A roar of voices envelops us, competing with the orchestra playing a slow ballad. One of Aldrin’s arms is slung low over my hips, and his other hand holds mine as our steps have us twirling around, our bodies pressed together.

He stares into my eyes with such intensity that it feels like we are utterly alone, despite all the people packed around us.

“When we return to my court, I want to teach you our dances. They are much more intricate and sexual.” His voice is low as he leans close to my ear. “And I won’t allow any other man to dance them with you.”

A shiver runs down my spine, and I open my mouth to retort, but he suddenly lets go of my waist and pulls me into a spin. Just as quickly, I am back in his arms, completely breathless.

“I will bring horses into my court, just so you can ride them through the wilderness like a kelpie taken by the spirits. I will give you everything you love from this kingdom.” Aldrin spins me again and my heart rate accelerates.

“All I need is you, Aldrin, and to be able to visit my family. That is enough for me.”

The song stops after a crescendo and another starts, faster and more upbeat. Aldrin flicks his head to where Caitlin dances with Cyprien, the fae rigid in his movements.

“I can’t believe she convinced that old grump to dance,” he laughs.

“They are unlikely friends, aren’t they?”

“I think it has been a century since Cyprien has made a new friend. He was…different when we were boys. Daring. Less cynical. A lot has happened since then.” Aldrin’s eyes cloud over and a deep sorrow spills from him into me. I know he is thinking of his sister.

“She was right in the end,” I murmur as our bodies continue to sway together.Aldrin raises his eyebrows at me. “Lorrella was right about us being mates. I would have loved to have met her.”

“You would have liked her. She was always full of life, with a mischievous grin permanently on her face. I miss her. I always bloody miss her. That grief is my constant companion.”

His dark eyebrows pinch for a moment, then the expression is gone. Aldrin drops me into a dip, leaning his body over me as he holds the position.

“There is a lot in my court I would like you to see. We have tulip farms that stretch on over the horizon in long stripes of red, orange, yellow and purple flowers.” He raises me again just as the song ends. “I would like to take you to Cascade Falls, where multiple large rivers converge and churn down cliffs into a single valley. Hundreds of tiered waterfalls meet with deafening roars and refract the sunlight in just as many rainbows, so the sky seems filled with them.”

“I would like that,” I say, staring into his eyes with wonder.

The slow beat of the next song draws instant recognition from me. It will quickly ramp up into a fast melody. The paired-up dancers form a long line that curves around into a circle, where the couples face each other. I slot us into it while Aldrin looks around with confusion. Caitlin pulls Cyprien along, standing next to me. She shoots me a knowing half-grin.

Aldrin nudges Cyprien in the ribs. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”

“Me either. I tried to have a conversation with her, and she dragged me into this mess.” Cyprien bows his head to Caitlin, and she laughs.

The music kicks up and the dance begins. The women take the lead for this song. We spin around and around, take steps forward and back. On the final spin, I let go of Aldrin’s hands, leaving him in his position as the entire line of women moves to the right.

I take up Cyprien’s hands. The fae frowns at me, looks to the woman at my left, then shoots Caitlin a look of wounded betrayal for making him dance with other people. We miss the first turns, but then he begrudgingly continues the dance with me.

“Your sister thinks she is incredibly funny,” he grumbles, but the quirk of his lips tells me he is secretly enjoying himself. At the very least, it is good for diplomatic relations if the fae intermingle with the humans.

The dance sweeps me up and I am taken away by the fast beat of the music. When I move on to the second unknown man, Aldrin’s voice rings in my head.

I am trying not to be a crazed, possessive fae, but I do not like you dancing with all these other men.

There is definitely a jealous rage building within him, but it is tempered by a film of amusement.

A smile forms on my lips. I am glad you are that self-aware, I poke, but the beast within him rumbles. If any man makes a pass at me, I promise I will slip the air out from beneath his feet. When I dump his ass on the ground, you will know which man to murder. Besides, they already know I have a scary fae fiancé who went to war and killed for me. They wouldn’t dare provoke you.

I don’t point out that the men in question only hold my hands. It’s not like I am waltzing with my body pressed up against them.

Hmmm, he responds. You are scary enough yourself, king killer.

I smile as I am swung from man to man, because all I can hear, feel and think about is Aldrin and that beautiful presence he takes up in my head, heart and soul. I never expected to share this mate bond with him, but now it is a thing I could never live without.

The next man in the row is Drake, and he beams at me with a huge smile that creases his silvery face tattoo as we spin around. “Should I expect Aldrin to go into a mating frenzy and destroy any man who touches you during this dance? I just need a heads-up, in case I should start running now.” Drake’s glittering eyes shoot over to Aldrin, who mock-glares at him.

I laugh.“Oh, he is barely containing his murderous rage, but I think he will spare you.”

I will not, Aldrin quips in my head.

When the dance finishes, he stalks straight to me and bundles me up in his arms, not releasing his clutch on me for three more songs.

When the music stops, heralds blow their trumpets. “It is time to bid the bride and groom, the king and queen, farewell and good luck!”

Servants carrying huge branches filled with orange blossoms rush out to the revelers, who form a tunnel of bodies across the dance floor. I take a branch, a few of the petals raining down on me, and hold it above my head until it meets Aldrin’s opposite me.

More servants rush through the center of the tunnel and scatter white petals. I cringe at the sudden image it brings up, at the scent of crushed roses and the bruised lines born across their delicate forms as I stepped on them to reach Finan at the end of the marital aisle. Bile rushes up my throat?—

Look at me, Keira, Aldrin’s voice booms in my head. Warmth and love radiates from him. It is me who stands opposite you, not him.

I drag my eyes up from those petals to Aldrin’s face. I can suddenly breathe again.

With their arms linked, Niall and Brianna step down from the dais and glide toward the tunnel of bodies. As they pass under each couple, the branches are pulled backward. It looks like the canopy unravels with their steps.

They stop to speak to each person, Brianna holding the queen mother’s hands and talking to her in a soft voice. She embraces our father, then our mother, while King Niall speaks with his own mother.

I am entranced by the change in my sister.

Her usual shyness evaporates further with each encouraging smile from her new husband. She is no longer that child who stands in the shadows of her older siblings. The one who is too inexperienced to go on hunts, too young and soft to go to war. The little girl whose bedroom was a few doors down from mine. Who followed me like a shadow and appeared when I needed her.

Now she will use her greatest strengths of social intrigue and compassion to lead this kingdom with her husband. I know he will treat her as an equal.

When Brianna reaches me in the procession and the servants take the branch from my hand, her lip wobbles. “I always thought you would be the Queen of Strathia. I’m so sorry that…”

Her words fade out, but I know what she means. That Finan turned out to be poisonous. For me, it would have been a title and nothing more. I paid so dearly with so much pain for ever wanting that title and being forced into it.

“I walked away from it three times.” A tear rolls down my cheek, a mixture of sorrow from my trauma and pride for my sister. “I only want to be one man’s queen, and I would choose him every time, even if he had no titles.” We both glance at Aldrin, who tips his head at us.

Brianna hugs me tightly. “Tonight, I have been given everything I have ever wanted, and so much more.”

Gods, I know that feeling.

As she moves on, Niall comes to hold my hands. “Thank you. For everything.” It is all my brother-in-law can manage, but his eyes say so much more.

When Brianna leaves with Niall through the grand doors, I can’t help feeling like I am losing her. She is starting a new chapter in her life, in a city away from Appleshield, and I won’t have a significant role in it anymore.